Robbery protective device with time delay means



March 23, 1965 -rm 3,174,246

ROBBERY PROTECTIVE DEVICE WITH TIME DELAY MEANS Filed Aug. 16, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

JA MES LAMAR MARTIN ATTORNEY March 23, 1965 J. L. MARTIN 3,174,246

ROBBERY PROTECTIVE DEVICE WITH TIME DELAY MEANS Filed Aug. 16, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5O 49 64 FIG. 4

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JAMES LAMAR MAR TlN ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,i?'4,24ii Patented Mar. 23, 1955 3,174,246 ROBBERY PROTECTIVE DEVICE WITH TIME DELAY MEANS James Lamar Martin, Atlanta, Ga, assignor to Currency Protection, Inc, a corporation of Georgia Filed Aug. 16, B62, Ser. No. 217,370 6 Claims. (Cl. 421) This invention relates to a robbery protective device and more particularly to a movable packet camouflaged to simulate the item or items desired by the robber and which is provided with manually actuated time delayed means arranged to discharge a substance such as tear gas for inhibiting the getaway of the robber a predetermined interval of time after actuation of the device upon confrontation by the robber.

Armed robbery inherently affords to the robber the advantages of surprise and the choice of time and place for the perpetration of a particular robbery. Thus the personnel of a bank or other establishment are of necessity compelled to fill the robbers money bag when confronted with such a demand. Professional guards engaged to protect against robbery and other similar activity, though armed, are loath to engage a robber in a gun battle because of the danger to bystanders, among other considerations. In a sense it can be said that robbery is a sudden and precipitous act or series of acts against those who are either incapable of coping with an armed intruder or who for many reasons may be inhibited from doing so. What ever the explanation, the fact is that armed robbery as a dangerous crime is on the increase at the present time.

A principal object of this invention is to provide an improved method of apprehending robbers without danger to persons confronted by an armed robber.

Another object of the invention is the prevention of robbery by the provision of a reliable method of apprehending robbers which inherently is adapted to discourage wonld-be robbers.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved discharge device camouflaged to simulate the appearance of an item sought by the robber and adapted to disable its possessor temporarily upon discharge thereof and to render such a device effective only after a predetermined time delay period following the transfer of the device to the robber.

The invention in one form utilizes a frame of a size which is adapted for ready camouflage as a packet of currency, a plurality of tear gas cartridges removably mounted within the frame, a common firing pin sear for simultaneously actuating individual firing pins associated respectively with the discharge devices, a biased actuating device movable into engagement with the common firing pin sear, a spring biased latch mechanism normally restraining said actuating device, a manually operable locking means normally holding said latch in its restraining position and movable to release said latch mechanism, and time delay means for controlling the release of said actuating means by said latch following manual release of said locking means.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention as it appears when camouflaged to simulate a packet of currency of customary appearance and weight; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the protective device depicted in FIG. 1 but with the camouflage removed and with the top cover removed; FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 as designated in FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line designated 44 in FIG. 2; and in which FIG. 5

is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 indicated on FIG. 2 with the time delay element removed for clarity.

With reference to FIG. 1 the numeral 1 generally designates a camouflaged packet in which the protective device comprising the invention is disposed. As is apparent in FIG. 1 a standard band 2 is wrapped about the packet and a one dollar bill in US. currency is disposed atop the packet 1. Of course, any desired denomination could be used. The sides 3 of the packet as depicted in FIG. 1 are provided with a plurality of light lines designated generally at 4 for the purpose of simulating the edges of bills although it will be understood that the edges 3 and the opposite corresponding edges of the packet may in fact be flat sheets of paper on which lines 4 are printed, the purpose being to simulate a stack of currency bills.

If desired a standard bill could be utilized on the bottom of the packet although such use is not deemed necessary.

If the band 2, the top currency bill and the cover plate are removed, the packet appears as a traylike box best shown in FIG. 2. From FIGS. 2 and 5 it will be understood that the packet comprises an outer shell having bottom panel designated by the numeral 5 and a pair of side walls 7 and 8. As can best be seen in FIG. 5 the top cover portion for the packet comprises a metal plate 9 together with side walls It and 11. Preferably though not necessarily side walls 10 and 11 are formed integrally with the top panel 9.

While FIG. 5 depicts the metal cover including the side walls 7 and 8, it) and 1]. without showing the camouflage paper designated at 3 in FIG. 1, it will be understood that these surfaces are covered with such paper as already explained in connection with FIG. 1, it being a simple expedient to provide a parting line whereby the top and bottom may be separated, such a parting line coinciding with the junction between side walls 10 and 8 designated generally at 12 and a corresponding junction designated at 13 in FIG. 5 between the side walls '7 and i1.

Disposed inside the outer cover as already described is a frame comprising relatively rigid side struts l4 and 15 which are rigidly secured to the end wall 6 by any suitable means such as by welding, screws or the like. Interposed between side walls 14 and 15 is a transversely disposed breech blocl; 16 which is secured by welding or screws or the like at its ends to the frame elements 14 and 15. As can best be seen in FIG. 3, breech block 16 is provided with a plurality of cylindrical cavities, one of which is designated by the numeral 17. These cavities 17 receive the body portion of a plurality of tear gas emitting cartridges designated in FIG. 2 by the numerals 18, 19 and 2%. In practice these cartridges are of a size corresponding to a standard 410 gauge shotgun shell and conveniently are of a proper size to fit within the packet and still retain the dimensions of a commonly used standard size money packet. As can best be seen in FIG. 3 the flanged end 19A of shell 19 is held in place against the breech block 16 by a recoil plate designated by the numeral 21. As can best be seen in FIG. 2 recoil plate 21 is secured in abutting relation on shoulder 22 formed along the inside surface of side frame element 14 and at its other end recoil plate 21 abuts shoulder 23 formed on the inside surface of side frame element 15. It will be understood that an opening is formed in recoil plate for the firing pin for each shell 18, 19 and 20. Such an opening is shown in FIG. 3 and is designated by the numeral 25.

After the firing of the cartridges l8, l9 and 20, the recoil plate 21 is normally bowed toward the right and hence must be replaced.

For the purpose of causing the discharge of the tear gas cartridges 1%, 19 and 29, a plurality of individual firing pins 2-5, 2.7 and 2.8 are provided. These firing pins are slidably mounted in firing pin block 29 which is seecured at its ends to the side walls 14 and 15 of the frame by screws or the like. As is apparent from FIG. 2, one end of the firing pin block 29 is disposed in a slot fail formed in side wall 14 and the other end of the firing pin block 29 is mounted in a slotted portion 31 formed in the side frame element 15'. Each firing pin is provided with its operating means which may take the form of individual biasing spring respectively designated in FIG. 2 for example by the numerals 32, 33 and 34.

For the purpose of holding the firing pins 26, 2'7 and 28 in their normal nonfiring or inactive positions and for releasing such pins simultaneously, a common firing pin trigger is utilized. This trigger is best shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5 and is designated by the numeral 35. it is apparent from the drawings that the sear means 35 is provided with a transversely disposed percussion post 36 and a plurality of keyhole shaped apertures 37, 38 and 39. Since each firing pin is provided with a head portion designated in FIG. 2 for example by the numerals 40, 41 and 42 and a reduced neck portion designated in FIG. 3 for example by the numeral 43, it is apparent that movement toward the left of the firing pin sear 35 as viewed in FIG. 5 simultaneously caused the enlarged parts 37A and 38A and 39A of each of the openings to coincide with the axes of the heads 4%, 4-1 and 42 of the firing pins. In this manner the firing pins are all released simultaneously and move quickly toward the left as viewed in FIG. 2 under the biasing action of their individual biasing springs 32, 33 and 34. Of course, upon impact with their associated discharge devices, a disabling substance such as tear gas is emitted and the robber is temporarily incapacitated due to the fact that the substance discharged will inhibit his normal sensory perception and will prevent immediate physical activity. Immediately following the discharge of the discharge elements 18, 19 and 29, a building guard, policeman or other ofiicer is attracted by the noise and the robber may easily be apprehended due to his temporary incapicity.

For the purpose of actuating the common firing pin sear 35 a spring biased actuating element 44 pivoted at pivot pin 45 is arranged to swing in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 and ultimately the swing end of the arm 44 engages the percussion post 36 and imparts operating movement thereto. Bias of the percussion arm 44 is imparted by a suitable relatively stiff spring designated in FIG. 2 by the numeral 46 coiled about pin 45.

For the purpose of holding actuating arm 44 in its normal position and for releasing such arm in response to suitable actuation, latch means 47 having a latching detent 48 and a rod 49 is slidably mounted in cylinder so secured at one end to firing pin block 29. Latch 47 is biased toward unlatching position by biasing means 54 in the form of a coil spring.

In order to render the device inactive even though charged with live cartridges 18, w and 20, a suitable manually operable locking pin 52 is provided. As is best shown in PEG. 4 locking pin 52 is slidably mounted in an opening 53 formed in block 29 and the left-hand end of latch rod 49 as shown in FIG. 4 is slidable into and out of an opening 54 formed in block 29. Thus as is apparent in FIG. 4 the device is rendered inactive when the locking pin 52 is disposed in its upper position within the opening 53. In order to render the device capable of automatic actuation the locking pin 52 is simply engaged at its upper end 55 and depressed so that its lower end disengages the left end of rod 49. When such downward movement is effected manually the rod 49 may move into aperture 57 in pin 52 and latch 47 is then under the influence of biasing spring 50 and time delay dashpot 59. Dashpot 59 comprises the cylinder 60 and plunger 61, the space 62 within the cylinder being filled with a suitable fluid. As spring 5% moves plunger 61 to the left as viewed in FIG. 4, the fluid in space 62 is forced out of cylinder 66 around the periphery of plunger 61 and may escape around rod 4) and opening 63 formed in the end 64 of cylinder 66. Preferably the amount of time delay is determined by controlling the viscosity of the fluid. This is feasible and largely independent of temperature because the device is ordinarily at room temperature. Of course, after predetermined travel of latch detent 48, the actuating arm 44 is released and the discharge deviccs actuated by their firing pins due to moving of release bar 35.

In FIG. 1 a pencilled (X) or similar mark is placed on band 2 to designate the location of locking pin 52.

When the robber enters a bank and asks a teller to fill up his bag, the teller depresses spot X and places the 1 packet along with other genuine packets in the robbers bag. After a time the robber is disabled, preferably in his car, when the discharge occurs. Police ofiicers, who have previously been apprised of the time and place of the robbery and the amount of time delay of device 59, can concentrate their efforts to a small area near the locus of the robbery and can quickly and easily apprehend the temporarily disabled bandit.

While I have shown and described a particular embodyment of the invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto and intend in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to obtain by Letters Patent from the United States is:

1. A device for temporarily incapacitating a robber after his departure from the robbed premises, said device comprising a frame, normally inactive discharge means mounted on said frame and charged with a substance adapted to inhibit normal sensory perception and physical reaction when released from said discharge means, operating means for rendering active said discharge means, sear means for controlling said operating means, biased actuating means mounted on said frame and engageable with said sear means to cause release of said substance, latch means on said frame and normally in engagement with said actuating means and effective to prevent engagement between said actuating means and said sear means, biasing means mounted on said frame and arranged to impart releasing force to said latch means, manually operable locking means movably mounted on said frame and normally preventing releasing movement of said latch means and movable to a latch releasing position, and time delay means on said frame for controlling releasing movement of said latch means.

2. A device for temporarily incapacitating a robber after his departure from the robbed premises, said device comprising a frame, normally inactive discharge means mounted on said frame and charged with a substance adapted to inhibit normal sensory perception and physical reaction when released from. said discharge means, operating means for rendering active said discharge means, sear means for controlling said operating means, biased actuating means mounted on said frame and engageable with said sear means to release said substance, latch means on said frame and normally in engagement with said actuating means and effective to prevent engagement between said actuating means and said sear means, latch biasing means mounted on said frame and arranged to impart releasing force to said latch means, manually operable locking means movably mounted on said frame and normally preventing releasing movement of said latch means and movable to a latch releasing position, time delay means on said frame for imparting releasing movement of said latch means, and cover means disposed about said frame and concealing said device, said cover means simulating the appearance of an item sought by the robber.

3. A device for temporarily incapacitating a robber after his departure from the robbed premises, said device comprising a frame, normally inactive discharge means mounted on said frame and charged with a substance adapted to inhibit normal sensory perception and physical reaction when released from said discharge means, operating means for rendering active said discharge means, sear means for controlling said operating means, biased actuating means mounted on said frame and engageable with said sear means to actuate said operating means and thereby to release said susbtance, latch means on said frame and normally in engagement with said actuating means and effective to prevent engagement between said actuating means and said sear means, latch biasing means mounted on said frame and arranged to urge said latch means toward releasing movement, manually operable locking means movably morurted on said frame and normally preventing releasing movement of said latch means and movable to a latch releasing position, time delay means on said frame for delaying releasing movement of said latch means, cover means disposed about said frame and concealing said device, said cover means simulating the appearance of an item sought by the robber, and position indicating means on said cover means and coinciding with said manually operable locking means.

4. A device for temporarily incapacitating a robber after his departure from the robbed premises, said device comprising a frame, normally inactive discharge means mounted on said frame and charged with a substance adapted to inhibit normal sensory perception and physical reaction when released from said discharge means, operating means for rendering active said discharge means, sear means for cont-rolling said operating means, biased actuating means mounted on said frame and engagea-ble with said sear means to actuate said operating means and thereby to release said substance, latch means on said frame and normally in engagement with said actuating means and effective to prevent engagement between said aetuating means and said sear means, latch biasing means mounted on said frame and arranged to urge said latch means toward releasing movement, manually operable locking means movably mounted on said frame and normally preventing releasing movement of said latch means and movable to a latch releasing position, time delay means on said frame for delaying releasing movement of said latch means, cover means disposed about said frame and concealing said device, said cover means simulating the appearance of an item sought by the robber, and position indicating means on said cover means and coinciding with said manually operable locking means, said position indicating means being adapted to afford ready and easy location of said manually operable locking means without arousing the curiosity of the robber.

5. A robbery protective device comprising a packet including a bottom panel of substantially the same size and shape as a bill of paper currency, a pair of side walls secured to said panel along the long edges thereof, an end wall at one end of said panel and interconnecting the adjacent ends of said side walls, a top panel disposed atop said end and side walls, a genuine currency bill disposed on said top panel in substantially coincidental relation thereto, paper sheets with parallel lines thereon secured to all edges of the device so as to simulate the appearance of edges of non-existent bills below said genuine currency bill, a breech block secured at its ends to said side walls in spaced relation from the end of said packet remote from said end wall, said breech block being apertured to receive therein a plurality of discharge devices, a recoil plate secured adjacent to said breech block and arranged to hold said discharge devices therein, a firing pin block secured at its ends to said side walls and arranged to receive a plurality of firing pins, an individual biasing spring for each firing pin, a sear slidably mounted on said firing pin block and arranged normally to hold said pins in inactive position, said sear being slidable to release said pins simultaneously, a percussion post formed on said sear, an actuating arm pivotally mounted on said end wall and biased toward engagement with said percussion post, a latch slidably mounted on one of said side walls and normally engaged by said actuating arm, a dash pot having a piston movable with said latch and arranged to afford time delayed movement of said latch, a manual locking pin slidably mounted in said firing pin block and normally in engagement with a part of said piston to prevent release of said actuating arm by said latch, a band disposed approximately medially about said packet, and a position indicating mark on said band in coincidence with said locking pin.

6. A device for temporarily incapacitating a robber after his departure from the robbed premises, said device comprising a frame, normally inactive discharge means mounted on said frame and charged with a substance adapted to inhibit normal sensory perception and physical reaction when released from said discharge means, operating means for rendering active said discharge means, sear means for controlling said operating means, biased actuating means mounted on said frame and engageable with said sear means to cause release of said substance, latch means on said frame and normally in engagement with said actuating means and effective to prevent engagement between said actuating means and said sear means, biasing means mounted on said frame and arranged to impart releasing force to said latch means, manually operable locking means movably mounted on said frame and normally preventing releasing movement of said latch means and movable to a latch releasing position, and dashpot means cooperating with said biasing means for controlling releasing movement of said latch means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,585,394 5/26 Lawrence 421 1,951,382 3/34 White et a1 421 1,970,719 8/34 Von Frantzius 421 2,541,770 2/51 Lawrence 4269 2,938,463 5/ Jasse 10282 FOREIGN PATENTS 414,23 3 5/25 Germany.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. 

6. A DEVICE FOR TEMPORARILY INCAPACITATING A ROBBER AFTER HIS DEPARTURE FROM THE ROBBED PREMISES, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A FRAME, NORMALLY INACTIVE DISCHARGE MEANS MOUNTING ON SAID FRAME AND CHARGED WITH A SUBSTANCE ADAPTED TO INHIBIT NORMAL SENSORY PERCEPTION AND PHYSICAL REACTION WHEN RELEASED FROM SAID DISCHARGE MEANS, OPERATING MEANS FOR RENDERING ACTIVE SAID DISCHARGE MEANS, SEAR MEANS FOR CONTROLLING SAID OPERATING MEANS, BIASED ACTUATING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SEAR MEANS TO CAUSE RELEASE OF SAID SUBSTANCE, LATCH MEANS ON SAID FRAME AND NORMALLY IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ACTUATING MEANS AND EFFECTIVE TO PREVENT ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID ACTUATING MEANS AND SAID SEAR MEANS, BIASING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AND ARRANGED TO IMPART RELEASING FORCE TO SAID LATCH MEANS, MANUALLY OPERABLE LOCKING MEANS MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AND NORMALLY PREVENTING RELEASING MOVEMENT OF SAID LATCH MEANS AND MOVABLE TO A LATCH RELEASING POSITION, AND DASHPOT MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID BIASING MEANS FOR CONTROLLING RELEASING MOVEMENT OF SAID LATCH MEANS. 